2008 Hyundai Tiburon Review
Price Estimate: $769 - $1,184





+12
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Clean interior styling, affordable price, long warranty.
Cons
- Handling not as sharp as most rivals, weak engines, dated design.
What’s new
Satellite radio and an upgraded Kenwood stereo system are now standard on every 2008 Hyundai Tiburon.
Edmunds says
Though affordable, the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon's age, lack of power and tame handling put it near the bottom of our list for a sport coupe.
For sale near Milwaukee, WI
14 listings
- 156,262 miles
- 1 accident, 3 owners, personal use only
- 17 City / 24 Hwy MPG
- Nicas Auto Sales (76 mi away)
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
- Auto Climate Control
- Alarm
- Trip Computer
- Rear Bench Seats
Close
Located in Loves Park, IL
FIRM CASH PRICE 3 OWNERS ALL LEATHER AUTOCHECK
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
20 Combined MPG (17 City/24 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KMHHN66F68U282678
Stock: 282678
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 05-20-2025- $6,566fair price$545 below market
- 73,129 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 20 City / 27 Hwy MPG
- Great Lakes Hyundai of Dublin (324 mi away)
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
- Alarm
- Rear Bench Seats
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
Close
Located in Columbus, OH
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
22 Combined MPG (20 City/27 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KMHHM66D58U288098
Stock: T25D2078A
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 07-05-2025
Vehicle overview
In Spanish, Tiburon means "shark." In Hyundai speak, Tiburon is a compact sport coupe that does what the Korean carmaker is best known for -- offer a generous warranty and a lengthy features list at a low price. Beyond these aspects, though, the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon is a mere sea bass in an ocean filled with more competent, vicious predators.
That's not to say the Tiburon isn't without merit. Appearance counts for a lot in the sport coupe world, and the Hyundai Tiburon has the sort of sharp lines that make a car stand apart from the pack. In profile, it's especially eye-catching, with a rising beltline, scooped outside detail and a sweeping roof line. The Tiburon's upscale look is topped off with side sculpting and slick alloy wheels shod with performance tires. Sadly, a midlife styling refresh robbed it of its nifty sharklike side gills.
The current-generation Tiburon debuted back in 2003. This is a fairly long time for sport coupe design; as a result, the Tiburon can't keep up with newer sport coupes. Its suspension is on the soft side, resulting in lackluster handling that driving enthusiasts will certainly notice in a simple back-to-back test-drive with other sport coupes like the Honda Civic (especially the Si), Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mini Cooper and Saturn Astra. For those who value comfort over performance, the Tiburon's ride is rather forgiving, but those buyers may find the also-comfy Scion tC provides them with a more complete package.
A more serious problem is engine power, as even the Tiburon's V6 is now outclassed by the four-cylinders of many competitors. And though standard equipment is plentiful, you're not going to find some of the more recent high-tech features like Bluetooth or navigation. Given these weaknesses, we think shoppers would be better served by the competitor coupes, which have a lot more bite than this aging shark can muster.
Performance & mpg
The GS comes with a 138-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4. Step up to the GT, SE or GT Limited and you'll get a 2.7-liter V6 rated at 172 hp and 181 pound-feet of torque. Although smooth, the V6 is considerably down on power for this segment. The GS and GT are available with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, while the SE can only be had with a six-speed manual. The GT Limited comes only with the automatic. Fuel economy for an automatic-equipped V6 2008 Tiburon is 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.
Safety
All Tiburons come standard with side airbags for front occupants and antilock brakes. Traction control and electronic stability control are standard on the SE, but aren't available on other models. In government crash tests, the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon earned a full five stars for driver protection in frontal impacts and four stars for the front passenger. The Tiburon earned a four-star rating for side crash protection.
Driving
The four-cylinder engine provides barely adequate power for this 3,000-pound coupe, so upgrading to the V6-powered GT, GT Limited or SE is strongly encouraged. When the Tiburon is driven hard, it lacks the athleticism of its more nimble competitors. The SE offers a sport-tuned suspension for more responsive handling and a tauter ride, but even that Tiburon is not as light on its feet as the class leaders. The 2008 Hyundai Tiburon is confident but not eager, and its steering is a bit slow and numb. However, when driven in a relaxed manner, this Hyundai performs capably and delivers a smooth ride.
Interior
The Tiburon has a simple but handsome cockpit. At first glance, it's evident that the interior designers wanted to impart a high-quality look and feel to the cabin. Everything is laid out in a straightforward fashion, free of gimmickry. Fiddle with the climate-control knobs and the silky fluidity with which they move would do a Honda proud. Bolstered sport seats help keep occupants in place during enthusiastic cornering, and the large speedometer and tachometer are easy to read at a glance.
2008 Hyundai Tiburon models
The 2008 Hyundai Tiburon is a compact coupe available in GS, GT, SE and GT Limited trims. Standard equipment for the GS includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, foglamps, full power accessories, air-conditioning and a six-speaker Kenwood stereo with CD/MP3 player and satellite radio. The GT adds 17-inch wheels, automatic climate control, cruise control, a trip computer, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cloth upholstery with black leather inserts, and chrome interior accents. The SE reverts back to manual climate control but gains a higher spoiler, red leather upholstery inserts and aluminum pedals. The GT Limited adds a sport suspension, red brake calipers, a sunroof (optional on other trims), full red leather upholstery and automatic climate control.
Compare 2008 Hyundai Tiburon trim levels
Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

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Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Wisconsin
$157/mo for Tiburon GS
Tiburon GS
vs
$158/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
3.5 out of 5 stars3.5/5Above Average
#32 out of 46 among Compact Cars
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
$360/yr
vs. $416/yr
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
Frequency
1.41x/yr
vs. 1.01x/yr
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
Severity
14.3%
vs. 10.4%
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
powered by RepairPal
Hyundai Tiburon Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Suprisingly fun and a great buy!
4.63 out of 5 starsImportguy84, 05/29/2010
2008 Hyundai Tiburon GS 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
I purchased this vehicle just a couple months ago to replace my 2001 Accord 5- speed. To my surprise this car drives better than most reviews I have read and is far better on gas. Power is not breath taking but I will say it is more peppy than its specs would suggest. I drive about 50% of the time on the highway and the other in the city. I average about 28 MPG, not bad at all. The very … slight lack of power of this vehicle is made up for in the corners. This car can really hold its own in the corners. People are amazed by the look of this car and I always turn heads at the traffic light. Interior is bright and really makes a statement. Overall great car, if you haven't driven one, try it out!
Good car great price!
4 out of 5 starssandor68, 02/23/2014
2008 Hyundai Tiburon GS 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Bought a 2008 in January 2014 for $4000. It has over 200,00km. Was looking for second car to drive around instead of my thirsty SUV all the time.
I test drove a whole bunch of small cars and at the end it came down to a 2006 Mazda3 and the Tiburon. It all came down to looks and price. Love the Ferrari look and it was $1500 cheaper than the Mazda. Good all around car and handles and … brakes better than the Mazda. Love it!
Most Fun Lil' car I ever Owned!
4.63 out of 5 starsitztoofun, 09/02/2011
2008 Hyundai Tiburon GS 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
I checked several other cars that had the same 'Look" ,small and sporty Look , without the High price tag! This was by far , the best deal for my money! If you just want to cruise with the top back, have the sport car feeling, and not the high insurance cost! I bought the 5 speed GS model with a sun-roof. I have had more compliments on this car than I have ever had with ANY other car … I've owned! Not planning on 'racing' with anyone, just enjoying the ride! Have not had any problems with the car in 3 years !!
Love it so far
5 out of 5 starsTyler Turner, 06/15/2016
2008 Hyundai Tiburon GT Limited 2dr Hatchback (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
I bought the 08 Tiburon GT Limited with 39,600 miles on it. Haven't been driving it for too long but i am loving it, it's definitely way better than the 99 Saturn SL i had before i got my Tiburon. All the reviews i read say it's a pile of junk, clutch goes out, weak engine, etc. I can agree that the engine isn't as powerful for a V6, however i didn't buy this car for racing, i bought it … for everyday commuting that has a bit more power than the average car. I can see myself putting some more horses under the hood in the near future. I like the red leather seats, it adds a little more flare to the cars already good looks. Only issues i have is that the previous owner put quite a few scratches on it as well as the American Racing alloy wheels they added to, the sunglasses holder falls down a lot, and the amount space to see next to you and behind you are minimal...but i am used to it now, and like i said before the engine could use some more power. If you're looking for something that's faster than buy another car, don't complain about something you should've done some research on.
2008 Tiburon Highlights
GS
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $17,270 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 23 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $157/month |
Seating | 4 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 14.8 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Tiburon include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5PassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
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